FT, NYT hike print prices to push readers online
Jinfo Blog

By Penny Crossland

Item

Following on from my posting on the demise of printed newspapers, there are more predictions regarding the inevitable switch to digitisation and paywalls of some description. Faced with a continuing gloomy outlook for advertising sales, newspaper proprietors in the western hemisphere at least are increasingly looking to how to remain in business.

Introducing online paywalls seems to be the only way forward, and it looks like the major newspapers almost have a sense of “let’s get this over with”. Today, media blog MondayNote reported that the FT and New York Times are encouraging and speeding up the move to digital access by making their printed editions more expensive. Both newspapers have increased their print prices at the newsstand by 25%.

With such a significant increase, way above inflation in both countries, MondayNote points out that the publishers are making the switch to digital part of their strategy. Both newspapers’ online subscriptions are now cheaper than their printed versions.

Other methods employed by the FT to get its readers hooked online is to water down its metered paywall model. Readers are now only permitted four free articles per month before having to pay.

The Guardian has taken a different approach, by keeping the existing newsstand price, but making the print paper smaller – as reported by LiveWire here. Guardian readers, like me, will presumably become annoyed at paying for less content and be driven to reading the paper online in its entirety. Surely, a paywall will follow soon.

How are publishers in smaller countries coping with the switch from print to online? Paidcontent reported that eight Slovenian newspapers, two magazines and one news site have joined ranks and joined a single payment kiosk marketed as “Piano”.

This payment system, initiated in Slovakia in 2011, charges customer a single fee per month to access content published by all participants. 70% of subscription revenues go to the publishers. Piano’s owners hope to introduce the payment kiosk in other European countries throughout 2012, no doubt watched closely by newspaper publishers everywhere.

« Blog